Means for operating the switches of street-railways



(No'Moael.) l y W. E. EARMER- 8v T. WHITE.

MEANS EUR OPERATING TEE-SWITCHES 0E STREET 'RAI-LWAYS.

Patented Jan. 5, 1892'.

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UNIT- nn STATES v PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM H. FARMER AND THOMAS l/VHITE, OF SAGINAW,'MICHIGAN.

MEANS FOR OPERATING THE SWITCHES oF STREET-RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 466,602, dated January 5, 1892.

y Application filed April 8, 1891. Serial No. 388,107. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that we, WILLIAM H. FARMER and THOMAS WHITE, citizens of the United States, and residents'of Saginaw, in the county of Saginaw and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful ImprovementsA in Means for Operating the Switches of Street- Railways; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description `of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the yart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form apart of this specification.

Our invention relates to'improvements in means for operating the switches of streetrailways. y v

As is well known in street-railways, where a car is to be switched from a'main track to a side line, it is customary for the driverto stop the car just before it reaches the switch, and by means of a rod or other instrument to actuate the switch-rails. This is a very unsatisfactory method, as frequently, especially in the night, the driver has to leave the car and operate the switch-rails by hand, thus not only involving an unnecessary amount of labor, but also entailing delay in running the cars. It also sometimes happens that the car passes beyond the switch-rails, owing to miscalculation on the part of the driver, rendering it necessary to back the same before the switch-rails can be operated.

The obj eet of this invention is to obviate the above objections and provide means whereby the switch-rails can be readily, reliably, and efficiently operated without the driver stopping the car.

-The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts,l hereinafter fully described, and specifically pointed out in the claim.

.In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan view; of a railway, showing our improved switch in connection therewith.,

Fig. 2 is across-section of the same, also showing a car with the means for operating the switch-rails. Fig. 3 ins a detail side view of the devices for operating the switch-rails. Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of the same.

In the said drawings, the reference-numeral 1 designates the main rails of an ordinary street-railway.

The numeral 2 denotes the side track, the end or switch rails 3 of which are pivoted at 4, so that they can be shifted, so as to cause the car to travel on the main or side track, as is well understood by those skilled in the art.

So far the parts referred to may be of any ordinary or suitable construction. Intermediate of their ends and at about the center thesWitch-rails 3 are connected together by means of a transverse bar 5, whichin turn is connected with a horizontal lever 6, pivoted to the cross ties or sleepers at 7. At its opposite or free end this lever is provided with a plate 8, having an upwardly-p roj ecting cam 9, being an oblate, having rounded sides and sharp ends, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The numeral 10 designates the front platform of` an ordinary street-car having at its forward end two transverse bars 12, which are united or connected together at their inner ends.' W'orking in sleeves 12 on these bars are two vertical rods 13, either of which when pressed down, as hereinafter described, is capable of engaging with the cam 9, so as to actuate the same. At their upper ends these rods are connected by means' of links 14 with a rock shaft or arm 15, secured to a horizontal shaft 16, journaled in brackets 17, depending from the' under side of the car.

The front end of vthis shaft 16 is provided with a rock-shaft 15a similar to shaftl. To the ends of this shaft are secured upwardlyprojecting rods 1S, which pass up through the floor of the car and are so located and arranged as to be easily depressed by the foot of the driver when required.

20 20 designate two flat springs, one end of each of which is secured to the car While the other end bears upon the rock-shaft 15, so as to returnthe parts to normal position after being actuated.

The operation is as follows: When the parts are in their normal positionsthat is to say, the rodsl being elevated-a car in passing `over the road would not actuate the'switchrails as the said bars wouldnot come in contact with the cam 9. If, however, the driver de- IOO sires to operate the switch-rails he depressos one or the other of the rods 1S by his foot, which through the medium of the rock-shafts, horizontal bar, and links Will depress one of the rods 13, causing it to come in contact with the com 9 and shift it to the right or left, according to which rod is depressed; and correspondingly moving the switch-mils.

Having thus described our invention, what In a street-railway carVthe combination of the upwardly-projecting rods, the rock-shaft to which said rods are connected, the horizontal rod to which said rock-shaft is secured,

15 the rock-shaft secured to the opposite end of WILLIAM I-I. FARMER, THOMAS WHITE.

Vtnesses'.

C. l. BEATTY, CHANCY MCCARTHY. 

